- The SUV has been designed exclusively for the Chinese market and will be built with GAC.
- Powering entry-level models is a 50 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery pack.
- Despite the SUV’s bargain price, it comes loaded with driver assistance systems.
The electric vehicle market in China is increasingly becoming a battleground for automakers looking to offer more for less, and Toyota’s latest entry, the bZ3X, promises to shake things up. Launched in partnership with Toyota’s GAC joint venture, this electric SUV is priced to undercut much of the competition, starting at just 100,000 yuan ($13,800) and capping out at 200,000 yuan ($27,500). With first deliveries slated for March next year, Toyota is making a serious play for value-conscious EV buyers.
Compact Power, Long(ish) Range
The entry-level model, known as the 430 Air+, comes equipped with a 50.03 kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery pack. That’s quite a small pack for an SUV of this size, but Toyota says it’s good for 430 km (267 miles) of range on a single charge. However, this is under the CLTC cycle, which is known to be quite generous. This battery powers a single electric motor with a quoted 221 hp (165 kW).
In addition to the 430 Air+, the SUV will also be available in 520 Pro+ and 620 Max forms, although limited details about these variants are known. If the naming strategy is any indication, they could have 520 km (323 miles) and 620 km (385 miles) of range respectively, which might necessitate a larger battery pack.
Read: Toyota bZ3C And bZ3X To Join China’s Crowded EV Market
The bZ3X is sized competitively within the compact SUV segment, measuring 4,600 mm (181.1 inches) in length, 1,875 mm (73.8 inches) in width, and 1,645 mm (64.7 inches) in height, with a wheelbase of 2,765 mm (108.8 inches). It has a curb weight of 1,835 kg (4,045 lbs).
Toyota has been working on the bZ3X for quite some time and previewed it earlier in the year alongside the smaller bZ3C crossover. The cabin of the bZ3X seems to be quite well-equipped and as standard, includes a 14.6-inch infotainment display and an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster. It also rocks a two-spoke steering wheel, a wireless phone charger, and a split center console. An 11-speaker Yamaha audio system comes standard.
Perhaps most impressive is all the safety technologies that Toyota has crammed into its new EV. It’s equipped with no less than 11 high-definition cameras, three millimeter-wave radars, a lidar, and 12 ultrasonic sensors, enabling a raft of driver-assistance systems.
